New York State Defenders Justice Fund: NYS Bar Association President Calls for Public Defense Reform this Session

Thursday, June 18, 2009

NYS Bar Association President Calls for Public Defense Reform this Session

A letter yesterday (6/17/09) from the President of the New York State Bar Association to all legislators and the Governor set out a priority list of legislation that should be passed this session, including creation of a independent public defense commission. A State Bar press release says that Michael E. Getnick "called on state lawmakers to act on several important issues before the close of this year's legislative session, including allocating critical funding to civil legal service providers, reducing the number of wrongful convictions, establishing an indigent defense commission for the provision of quality public defense services, and enacting legal equality for same-sex couples." [emphasis added]. The Campaign for an Independent Public Defense Commission lauds the State Bar's continuing support for implementing the Kaye Commission's recommendations for public defense reform.

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The Right to Counsel is Fundamental to Justice

The Campaign for an Independent Public Defense Commission is working to fix New York State's broken system of public defense. We represent a coalition of over 200 community organizations and faith communities state-wide.

The Problem: Huge caseloads, poor training, and severe lack of resources for public defenders leave poor and working-class people with dismal representation in court. This leads to wrongful convictions, over-sentencing, and wasted tax-payer dollars. The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a class-action lawsuit against the State for violation of defendants' right to counsel.

The Solution: Describing the system as "an on-going crisis," former New York Chief Judge Judith Kaye called in 2006 for a politically independent public defense commission to administer these services statewide and ensure the rights of the accused are protected. Kaye's successor, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippmann, agrees with her recommendations, and dozens of prominent legislators, newspaper editorial boards and columnists, former judges, and concerned citizens have spoken out publicly in support of the Commission.

Action: Please contact the State leaders below and tell them, "It's time to fix New York's system of public defense. Please pass The Public Defense Act of 2009 -- S.6002/A.8793 -- this session!"

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver: (518) 455-3791
Governor David Paterson: (518) 474-8390
Your local State Senator and Assemblyperson

Click here for their mailing and email addresses. Please write to them, and use your own stories and words to describe why public defense reform is so important to you. Please include a direct request that the leader do everything in their power to create the Independent Public Defense Commission this session.

Thank you for taking action. Together we're going to win this fight, and take a major step toward equal justice for all in New York State.

For more information, visit www.newyorkjusticefund.org.